What Do Conservatives Want For 2016? We Asked

By:

Amita Kelly

The Conservative Political Action Conference, held this week in Washington D.C., is prime time for 2016 Republican presidential hopefuls trying — yes, already — to win over a key part of their base. Former Gov. Jeb Bush, Sen. Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, Gov. Scott Walker and others paraded on and off the main stage, trying to fire up the crowd with their ideas for America's next, post-Obama chapter.

But, as many CPAC attendees told us, it'll take more than a rousing (and certainly more than a humdrum) speech on the main stage to win them over. They want a candidate not just committed to their issues and values but someone who also brings, dare we say it, change from the Washington leaders who can't seem to agree on anything lately.

So what do conservatives really want in 2016? To find out, we asked CPAC attendees this: If you found yourself in an elevator with a future presidential nominee, what would you say?

Attendees talked about wanting power handed back to the people, a more secure border, a stronger focus on faith and lower taxes. Here are some of the responses:

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